If you are unsure, then take the time and view the videos.. watch them all.. and then make an opnion. She might have started on koolaid, but it wore off on her too.
Part 1: Annette Baran Interview
The Truth of Annette Baran
About the Author
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11 Comments on "The Truth of Annette Baran"
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Annette was such a blessing… she was witty and smart and insightful and graceful and honest and she was the youngest “elderly person” I ever knew. She gave years and years of her life to the cause of adoption and making it better.
And it was because of her, and her willingness (along with Reuben Pannor) to stand up and say “we did this wrong, and here’s how and why, and this is what we’ve learned about doing things right”, that I and many other up-and-coming adoption professionals learned the importance of viewing our cases from all angles, and never ceasing to try and ensure that adoption is always seen as a last resort, and that clients understand why it needs to be that way.
I was blessed to know Annette personally, over the course of many years, and I will miss her greatly.
“She might have started on koolaid, but it wore off on her too.”
Didn’t we all?
Thanks for these links.
Thank you for sharing this Claud. Annette was a good person who took the risk of publicly admitting she had been wrong. She spent the rest of her life trying to right the wrongs that her industry caused so many mothers and children.
I met her briefly at two conferences in the 1980’s and I found her to be a kind and authentic person. Rest in Peace, Annette.
Claudia,
Thanks so much for posting this. So much food for thought! I appreciate it very much. I wish I had met her.
God Bless you, Annette. Thank you for fighting for us. I’ll see you on the other side.
-Mara
We’re planning to pay her tribute at the protest on July 25th.
Jeff
I knew Annette well for many years, and “started on the Koolaid” and references to “some people” thinking she represented the adoption industry in your introduction to her is pretty weak and does not do justice to a wonderful, bright and honest human being. Methinks you “damn with faint praise.”
Annette was the first and maybe only social worker to apologize for the wrongs done by her profession without any “big BUTS”. She stood up at the first AAC in 1979 and just said, “I did wrong, we did wrong, I am sorry”. She has been fighting for open records and adoption reform ever since, and has stood in solidarity with adoptees and birthparents every step of the way.
Those who have criticized her in recent years did not know her as human being, but hate her because she was a social worker and once did adoption placements. They hated her out of blind prejudice and they do not deserve a forum, just as some people hate all adoptive parents on principle and lose sight of the individual human beings.
Annette deserves honor, she deserves better than references to “drinking the Koolaid” when she first started her career. She went on to do and be so much more, a brave, funny, and gracious lady. She will be missed by many.
Anyone defaming her memory diminishes themselves, not her name.
Maryanne,
I am very sorry that you feel I did Annette Baran an injustice here as that was not at all my intention.
I could have chosen to write more, but I did not have the honor of knowing her and I felt there were many more suited, true friends of hers such as yourself, who should have the privilege of that task.
Truth be told, I knew very little about her; her name of course I recognized as one who had established themselves as a professional in adoption circles and held in esteem, but I would be lying if I claimed otherwise. Could I have heard some of the her critics speak of her profession as a social worker? Yes, I know I knew that, but also knew of her great support of open records, too.
What research I could find that would do justice? And then, why do I need to try to represent her? I don’t have to tell her story, she does it here herself…and much better than I ever could.
And so, I kept it short and sweet and challenged anyone ( because I had sat through all 5 parts, listening to every word, and newly saddened that I would not ever have the chance to know this great lady ) to form their opinion based on her own words. I wanted people to be watch her videos and hear her, because I could not find fault with one tiny bit of those videos and she deserved to be heard. “Damned with faint praise” could not have been further from the truth.
Again, I am sorry .. and I am sure you are right and she does deserve more; in fact, I would be thrilled to post anything that you ( or anyone else) felt was worthy in speaking of her character and person. Just email something to me and I’ll get it right up.
And thank you for speaking of her here..all of ouy~
CCD~
Claud,
I get what you were trying to do now, and regret jumping on you in the previous post. Annette has been around so long I think I assumed everyone knows her and what she stood for, but fame is fleeting in the world of adoption reform.
Annette was a wonderful woman. She had a terrific sense of humor, and a sense of justice and a great bullshit detector when things got too “woo woo” at conferences and in writing. She was completely on the side of adoption reform, and was a personal friend as well as a comrade in arms to many of us.
She and Reuben Pannor were very much responsible for CUB continuing to exist as a group when a former administration was ready to let it die, and were helpful and supportive of Karen Vedder and others in CA in keeping it going as the first support group for mothers who had surrendered.
Annette had impeccable integrity, and was never an “industry tool”. As a young social worker she did what she thought was right, and when she learned there were other, better ways to deal with all in the adoption triangle, she apologized and moved on to advocating for reform and humanity in adoption and open records and decent treatment of mothers considering surrender.
She was also a fearless world traveler, collector of wonderful art, tireless reader of everything (I loved every book she recommended to me) and a lot of fun to be with. She aged in body but never in spirit. She was an inspiration to women in and out of adoption, and you would have loved her had you met her:-)
Did she apologize in any of these clips.
Gale
Seems to me she was making excuses for the abuse we mother’s suffered in the sealed record system.
Oh, and don’t forget the poor adoptive parents had no counseling..and still don’t!
hello, i am a birthmother, mother, mom, (yeah i am in real trouble for referring to myself the way i wish to)
um, when my baby girl was stolen from the AP, they REFUSED all “mediation, and counselling..” heh, ya, in their own words: “they already knew it all..”
right. and it had /has been “an adoption made in hell, ever since…”
..they LIE about that too,,,”